The present invention relates to laptop computers and other devices having a keyboard as an integral component and more particularly to devices wherein ease of removal of the keyboard is desirable.
As shown in FIG. 7, a notebook PC has a configuration in which a monitor section 1 displaying an image and a main body 3 provided with a keyboard section 2 are linked so as to allow opening and closing. The main body 3 comprises a housing 4 called a clamshell that forms a shell with the monitor section 1 and main body 3 folded together, a bezel 5 fitted around the keyboard section 2 with the monitor section 1 and main body 3 open, and a keyboard section 2, and is configured such that a motherboard, HDD, memory, and so forth, are incorporated in the internal space A enclosed by the housing 4, bezel 5, and keyboard section 2.
The keyboard section 2 is a unit formed by the attachment of a plurality of keys 6 and circuit boards (not shown) to a base panel 7. Conventionally, in many cases this kind of keyboard section 2 is fixed as an entity to the bezel 5 by means of screws, etc. With this kind of construction, the keyboard section 2 is generally fixed with screws from the rear side (the internal space A side) of the bezel 5.
With this kind of conventional construction it is necessary to remove the bezel 5 from the housing 4 in order to remove the keyboard section 2, and it is not anticipated that the keyboard section 2 will be removed after shipment.
These days, however, PC customization is widely carried out, including memory expansion, HDD replacement, and incorporation of expansion devices. Consequently, PC manufacturers"" customer service representatives and PC retail outlets may receive such requests from users, or users themselves may undertake such customization. There is thus a desire for a construction that allows even an inexperienced service representative or user to easily remove the keyboard section 2.
Some recent models allow easy removal of the keyboard section 2 from the housing 4 and bezel 5. FIG. 7 shows an example of a PC that has a construction that allows the keyboard section 2 to be removed from the bezel 5 with a one-touch operation. This PC is configured so that the two mutually opposing sides of the keyboard section 2 are latched by latch sections 10 and 11 formed on the bezel 5. Also, receiving sections 12 and 13 are provided at positions corresponding to latch sections 10 and 11 in order to support the keyboard section 2. The keyboard section 2 is arranged so as to be held with its front part 2a and rear part 2b sandwiched above and below by receiving sections 12 and 13 and latch sections 10 and 11.
In the fitted state, the keyboard section 2 is positioned with, for example, the front part 2a pressed against a stopper 14 formed on receiving section 12. Therefore, a pin 15 projecting downward is formed on the keyboard section 2, and a positioning claw is provided at a position corresponding to the pin 15. By means of the force of the positioning claw 16 arising due to elastic deformation, pressure is applied to the pin 15 and the keyboard section 2 is pressed against the stopper 14.
When removing the keyboard section 2, the user (or service representative: hereinafter referred to simply as xe2x80x9cuserxe2x80x9d) inserts a finger in a hole (not shown) formed in the housing 4 from the underside of the main body 3, and touches the vicinity of the front part 2a from the rear side (internal space A side) of the keyboard section 2. Then, by pressing this part toward the rear part 2b, the user slides the keyboard section 2 toward the rear part 2b (see an arrow (1) in FIG. 7). When the keyboard section 2 slides a predetermined distance, the front part 2a of the keyboard section 2 is freed from the latch section 10, and by rotation of the keyboard section 2 around the rear part 2b still sandwiched between latch section 11 and receiving section 13 in this state, the front part 2a is pushed up, and is freed from the bezel 5 (see an arrow (2) in FIG. 7). If the keyboard section 2 is then pulled toward the front part 2a, the rear part 2b is also pulled out from between latch section 11 and receiving section 13, and as a result the keyboard section 2 is completely removed from the bezel 5 (see an arrow (3) in FIG. 7). The keyboard section 2 can be fitted into the bezel 5 by carrying out the reverse of the above described procedure.
However, with the above described conventional configuration, several problems arise as described below.
As described above, the following operations are necessary in order to remove the keyboard section 2:
(1) Slide toward the rear part 2b 
(2) Push up toward the front part 2a when freed from latch section 10
(3) Pull out from between latch section 11 and receiving section 13 of the rear part 2b 
If operation (2) is performed before operation (1), for example, the front part 2a of the keyboard section 2 is not freed from latch section 10, and therefore the keyboard section 2 cannot be removed neatly.
As a result, push-up operation (2) is performed forcibly before slide (1) has been completedxe2x80x94that is, before the front part 2a of the keyboard section 2 has been freed from latch section 10xe2x80x94and the bezel 5 or keyboard section 2 may be damaged.
The present invention takes account of such technical problems, and has as its object the provision of a computer apparatus and keyboard that enable removal of the keyboard section to be carried out more easily and surely.
Based on this object, in a computer apparatus of the present invention the keyboard section is fitted to the housing in a removable manner, and this housing comprises a latch section that latches the keyboard section and a guide section that performs guidance so that the keyboard section is kept clear of the latch section when removed from the housing. More specifically, the latch section has a latch surface that is formed so as to project from the housing toward the inside of the aperture for accommodating the keyboard section, and latches the keyboard section. The guide section has a guide surface that is formed so as to project from the housing toward the inside of the aperture and, from base-end to tip-end, slopes from the inside (bottom surface side of the keyboard section) to the outside (surface side of the keyboard section) of the housing. This kind of computer apparatus can be a so-called notebook type in which the control unit is incorporated below the keyboard section inside the housing.
For the keyboard of the present invention, a window that supports a base is formed in the bezel, in which window is formed a first supporting section that supports one side of the base and a second supporting section that supports the other side, and the second supporting section has a latch member whose bottom surface is a sloping surface that rises gradually from base-end to tip-end.
This second supporting section can further have another latch member whose bottom surface is a flat surface. In this case, as regards the bottom surface of the latch member, it is desirable for the base-end to be positioned lower than the bottom surface of the other latch member. Also, it is desirable for the latch member to be formed more toward the center part of the keyboard than the other latch member. By this means, when the vicinity of the center part of the keyboard is raised in order to remove the keyboard, the base first hits the latch section that has a sloping surface.
This kind of keyboard can be applied to a standalone keyboard and also to a computer apparatus or other device of such form as to have a control unit below the base.
The present invention can be taken as a keyboard unit comprising a bezel fitted to its periphery, and as regards this keyboard unit, a supporting section that supports the keyboard section is formed on the bezel, and a guide section is formed that, when one side of the keyboard section is raised from below in an upward direction, slides it toward the other side of the keyboard section and moves the one side diagonally upward, thereby releasing support of that keyboard section by means of the supporting section. This guide section can be formed on the bezel side, or can be formed on the keyboard section side.
It is desirable for this guide section to be formed so as to project toward the inside of the aperture formed in the bezel, and to gradually decrease in thickness from base-end to tip-end.
Also, if the supporting section and guide section are formed consecutively on the surface of the bezel, a design is possible whereby the user is not made aware of the function of the supporting section and guide section.
The present invention can be taken as a bezel fitted to the periphery of a keyboard unit, comprising, on one side of the aperture for accommodating the keyboard section, a first latch member whose bottom surface is a flat surface, and a second latch member whose bottom surface is a sloping section that rises gradually from base-end to tip-end.
At this time, a third latch member that extends from the periphery of the aperture toward one side of the aperture can be further provided on the other side of the aperture.
Also, a wall section that is virtually orthogonal to the surface of the bezel can be further provided on one side of the aperture, and on the lower part of this wall section, an extending section that extends toward the other side of the aperture can be provided, and the keyboard section can be received by this extending section. Moreover, if the keyboard section accommodated in the aperture is forced toward the wall section by a forcing section, the keyboard section can be positioned at this wall section.